From a humble beginning as a producer of ordinary bicycles, Pingxiang county under Xingtai city in Hebei province has developed into a global producer, not only of advanced bicycles, but also baby strollers and toy cars. In the '70s two locals cobbled together the first locally-produced bicycle called Black Tiger. Gradually, a bicycle parts trading market emerged and today it is a global manufacturing hub for bicycles and children's vehicles with over 8,000 upstream and downstream enterprises. There is a saying in the local industry: “The world looks to China for baby strollers, while China looks to Pingxiang for them.”
Pingxiang county now produces about 50% of the nation’s and 40% of the world’s bicycles and child vehicles, with products exported to over 100 countries and regions. In recent years, a growing number of foreign merchants have traveled to the county to inspect and purchase bicycles, strollers and components. The county has hosted 19 consecutive expos to showcase its bicycles, child vehicles, and toys. The latest exhibition in March attracted more than 1,500 companies from inside and outside the province and customers from around the globe, with CNY4.15 billion in orders.
The industry has evolved from small assembly operations into a sophisticated cluster with a complete industrial chain, covering everything from raw materials like steel, plastic, and rubber to parts manufacturing, whole-vehicle assembly, research and development (R&D), and modern logistics. It is a key pillar of the local economy, employing 120,000 people and generating revenue of over CNY30 billion in 2024, according to Li Yunping, an official with the county’s Market Supervision and Administration Bureau.The bicycle and child vehicle industry in Pingxiang has undergone remarkable modernization in recent years. The county has strengthened its technological innovation drive, and accelerated the upgrading of industrial clusters.
At Hebei Kexin Electronic Technology Co, an engineer demonstrates an AI-controlled toy car – a miniature version of a cross-country vehicle. At the verbal instruction “Xiao Wei, turn on the car lights”, the vehicle, named Xiao Wei, turns on its lights right away. When the vehicle is told “Xiao Wei, please read aloud a poem”, the vehicle responds: “All right, please listen carefully,” and starts reading the poem. General Manager Jin Yu said the vehicle’s intelligence is due to the installation of a “smart brain” AI controller. Its chip can handle voice commands, issue collision alerts, and has GPS tracking, just like a real smart car. “With the AI controller, this electric toy car has achieved various functions such as human-machine interaction, automatic obstacle avoidance, Bluetooth connectivity, and online information exchange,” Jin said. “Although the technology has become relatively common, its application to toy cars is not yet very widespread,” he added.
Another company Hebei Fubei Bicycles Co is creating an industrial ecosystem where R&D is seamlessly integrated with production. Sales Manager Xin Lei said thanks to Kexin’s AI controller they were able to launch electric child cars with collision prevention features, and quickly seize the market opportunity. Digitalization is playing an important role in the transformation of the child car industry. A smart connected platform has been established to accelerate deep integration of digital technology with the real economy. So far, 20 companies have embarked on the journey of “smart transformation and digital conversion”, with 61 companies completing digital transformations, significantly enhancing the industry’s competitiveness.
As a result, the industry in Pingxiang has gradually shifted from its focus on low-cost assembly toward technological innovation and high-quality development. This transformation is exemplified by the story of Wang Zhanying and his company — Xingtai Hengpeng Bicycle Industry Co. The latest Xiaokabu AI interactive baby stroller developed by the company is about to be launched on the market in a few months. This stroller not only features functions like voice and gesture control, but also includes capabilities such as automatic following, obstacle avoidance, precise positioning, and anti-loss functions.
“When a child is sitting in the baby stroller, adults don’t need to push it by hand. The stroller will automatically follow the footsteps of the adult. Even when encountering slopes or obstacles, it will navigate around them automatically,” Wang said. The factory used to be an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), with a low profit margin of less than 8%. However, with the support of the Pingxiang County Bicycle Industry Research Institute, the company underwent a major transformation. For example, the curvature of the stroller’s seat cushion has been designed to mimic the shoulder and neck curve of a sleeping baby. Structural analysis conducted by 3D “stress software” resulted in a design where the entire vehicle can be folded up to resemble an elegant travel bag when not in use. The company successfully reduced the weight of the stroller from 12 kilogram to 6 kg, achieving a 50% weight reduction. “These technological innovations enabled the company to gain a significant competitive edge in the market,” Wang said, as reported by the China Daily.
